Is he trying to send a message that he won't be pushed around by the veterans?

"I don't go out with that intention of 'Oh yeah, look at me. You can't do it,'" Hernandez said. "I just go out there and play, and if it ends up happening, it ends up happening. That's just the nature of the game."

Hernandez endured an 0-12 season at UTEP as a senior. He was projected as a late first-round pick before slipping to the Giants at No. 34 overall, giving him an extra chip on his shoulder that won't let him back down.

"I respect all of them," Hernandez said. "But when things get heated out there, you kind of forget who is who. At that point, it doesn't matter. Just like I treated it in college, once we get back into the locker room, it's all done. We shake hands and it's over, and get back to the next day."

Hernandez was one of more than 30 Giants -- mostly rookie and second-year players -- in attendance Wednesday night at Lucky Strike for the David Tyree Charity Bowl benefiting Children of the City.

The Brooklyn-based organization provides meals, gifts and academic support to children in need.

It is a cause close to the heart of Hernandez, who lived in a relative's storage shed for two years after his family lost their home due to financial difficulties.

The Las Vegas native gave up football for a brief time to work construction and let his high school grades slip to the point where his NCAA academic qualification became a recruiting obstacle.

"It's a big deal to me, just that I'm able to help out in any way possible," Hernandez said. "My main motivation is I know what it's like. I know a lot of these people and kids get a lot of joy out of this. Even if it's just a couple hours to spare, it goes with them forever. I'm glad to be here."

"If you're a football player you should be referred to a nasty, on-the-edge player," Hernandez said last month. "I think that's how everyone should play. I think that's the reason why this sport is so popular. Yeah, I definitely consider myself that, and I think that everybody should be exactly that."